DO you want to keep your customers happy? Do you want to find more ways of getting customers to choose your business over your competitors’? Of course you do!
Good customer service is all about giving your customers what they want, when they want it. Simple. But do your employees have the right tools and skills to deal with your customers effectively, especially a difficult customer?
For example, when a customer calls, it usually means some part of your core service has failed or the customer perceives it to have failed. Perhaps you have not delivered on time, the customer has the wrong product, it doesn’t work, or it is not what the customer expected. What it means for anyone in customer service is that the first time we speak with the customer, they are usually upset.
However, what you say to your customers and how you deal with the situation in the first few minutes will determine whether they ever do business with you again.
There are five things that businesses do – and keep doing – that really annoy their customers.
1) You don’t care
Businesses need to look and sound like they care. Businesses need to appreciate the customer’s point of view and use caring words. A business that is indifferent to its customers’ needs is one of the major reasons why customers leave and don’t come back.
2) You are not listening
Listen to your customer and give them an opportunity to vent their feelings. Show you are listening by using the right words and body language (even on the phone). Use empathy and active listening skills and your customers will feel valued. Resolve a complaint and up to 70 per cent of customers will return. Resolve it quickly and you can expect that number to rise to 95 per cent.
3) You have a bad attitude
Generally a customer that has been wronged by your business will enter the discussion with a negative frame of mind. However, it is important not to let a customer’s negative attitude bother you. Good will overtake bad every time if you have the right attitude. Keep calm and listen. It is very hard for a customer to continue to be negative if you have a positive attitude and a smile on your face.
4) You use the wrong words
There are certain trigger words that cause a customer to become annoyed. They are ‘can’t’ or ‘sorry about that’. Even business jargon can have a negative effect on a customer. Think about the words you use and consider starting sentences with a positive word. Adopt a ‘can-do’ attitude and tell the customer what you can do rather than what you can’t do.
5) You don’t see the customer’s point of view
Put yourself in their shoes. Always appreciate that it is a big deal for them and work to find a suitable solution. How you deal with the situation will determine whether they continue to do business with you in the future. Recover well and you are very likely to have a happy, loyal, customer for life.
It is easy for any business to adopt these simple strategies and see an immediate change in customer perception. Good customer service is more likely to result in positive word of mouth referrals, which is one of the best marketing tools around.
Empower your employees and give them the skills to understand how to deal with dissatisfied customers, before they either become harder to deal with, or worse still, defect to your competitor.
Employees who know how to deal with customers effectively experience increased confidence and skill in managing all types of customers, including those challenging ones. They learn to recognise the value in using customer grievances as constructive feedback. Improved communication skills allow employees to create stronger relationships with customers, perform better as a team and ultimately help your business deliver consistent customer service standards.
Don’t see customer service as an expense. Great products need to be matched with great customer service, and businesses with a strong focus on customer service will always be the long-term winners.
Times are tough and with less money to spend, customers are becoming more choosy about who they do business with. If your business can’t satisfy them, they will find someone who can – and that will most likely be your competitor.
Ava Lucanus is the owner of Edge Communication, a customer service training business.
Contact Ava on ava@edgecommunication.com.au
www.edgecommunication.com.au
